The coffee company’s CEO Howard Schultz, who has been a long time supporter of LGBT rights, was at the headquarters to watch the flag being raised.

"We are thrilled that Starbucks is showing their support for the LGBT community in this very big, very public way," Adam McRoberts, Communications Director for Seattle Pride, said in an email statement to HuffPo. "The flag flying over their headquarters will welcome thousands of visitors coming to Seattle to celebrate Pride this week and is a testament to the support Starbucks has shown the LGBT community over the years."

Starbucks has come under fire from ultra conservatives for its LGBT support in the past. The anti-gay group Americans for Truth About Homosexuality’s Peter LaBarbera went after the Seattle-based company in May, saying his Mother’s Day was ruined after he watched a new ad for the Teavana Oprah Chai Latte, which featured "snuggling Starbucks lesbians." He called the ad "an alphabetic homoerotic embrace."

Additionally, in 2012, the National Organization for Marriage created an international campaign, called "Dump Starbucks," over the company’s support for gay marriage.

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